The invention is directed to a gated multi-channel amplifier which comprises a plurality of musical performance amplification channel means each responsive to high threshold level sound input for producing amplified sound output, one of the plurality of musical performance amplifier means being a vocal/announcer amplifier channel means responsive to announcer sound input of low signal level less than its high threshold level for producing an amplified announcer sound output, and means for gating the vocal/announcer amplification channel means to respond to announcer sound input of low signal level in the absence of response by the other musical performance amplification channel means.
An object of the invention is to provide a gated multi-channel amplifier system usable for ensemble musical performances wherein a vocal/announcer channel is utilized both for vocal musical input in conjunction with inputs to the other channels during an ensemble musical performance and also for announcing purposes when an ensemble musical performance is not taking place. In such a system, the vocal/announcer channel must be sensitive to a high threshold of signal input during ensemble performance and at other times it must be sensitive to conversational speech sound input of low signal level in order to pick up and amplify an announcement which is made, without being chopped up as would be the case if the high threshold were to be overcome. Any musical performance channel input threshold level must be adjusted to gate out unwanted leakage during live performance or ensemble sound levels and in consequence the adjusted threshold levels of input are so much higher than conversational speech level that none of them may be used for vocal announcement, otherwise the amplified announcement would be chopped up. The invention, then, is directed to a system including vocal/announcer channel means which is automatically switched between sensitivity to normal speech level input as necessary for announcing purposes and sensitivity to a high threshold level input as necessary for musical performances.
An object of the invention is to provide a gated multi-channel amplifier system comprising the combination of -a plurality of amplification channels, each having an audio input, an amplifier responsive to a predetermined threshold level of audio input, and threshold detector means connected to the audio input for connecting the audio input to the amplifier in response to detection of audio input exceeding the predetermined threshold level; one of the channels being a vocal/announcer amplification channel, and gating means controlled by the detector means for connecting the audio input of the vocal/announcer amplification channel to its amplifier in the absence of audio input exceeding the predetermined level of the vocal/announcer amplification channel.
Stated otherwise, an object of the invention is to utilize a NOR logic arrangement in a multiple channel amplifier system so that whereas a group of amplifier channels are always responsive to high threshold levels of audio input, a further channel is reserved for response both to high threshold level of vocal audio input and for response to low signal level of announcer audio input, with toggling of the vocal/announcer channel back and forth between low and high threshold level modes being controlled by NORing responses of the group of amplifier channels. In this way, the vocal/announcer channel is separately usable for announcements in response to low level mode speech input while the outputs of the group of channels are silent but is also usable in ensemble with one or more of the channels of the group of channels while responding to vocal input of high threshold level mode.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a gated multi-channel amplifier system which comprises the combination of a vocal/announcer amplification channel means normally responsive to announcer sound input of low signal level for producing an amplified announcer sound output which is intelligible to an audience, musical performance amplification channel means responsive to musical sound input of high threshold level for producing amplified musical sound output, and means for rendering the vocal/announcer amplification channel means responsive only to vocal sound input of high threshold level in the presence of the amplified musical sound output.
The invention relates to a gated amplifier system comprising the combination of at least a pair of amplifier means, each having an audio input for receiving an audio input signal and an output for producing an amplified output of the audio input signal, first threshold detecting means associated with one amplifier means for detecting an audio input signal of high threshold for the one amplifier means which must be exceeded during live musical performances, second threshold detecting means associated with the other amplifier means for detecting an audio input signal of high threshold for the other amplifier means which must be exceeded during live musical performances, first gating means responsive to detection of an audio input signal of high threshold by the first threshold detecting means for passing the audio input signal of the first amplifier means for amplification, second gating means responsive to detection of an audio input signal of high threshold level by the second threshold detecting means for passing the audio input signal of the second amplifier means for amplification, and further gating means responsive to the absence of detection of audio input signal of high threshold level by the second threshold detection means for conditioning the first gating means to pass audio input signals of low signal level to the first amplifier means for amplification.
The invention also relates to a gated multi-channel amplifier system for use in connection with live musical performances and including a plurality of amplification channel means, each with its own musical sound input and means for adjusting the threshold level of sound to which the respective amplification channel means responds to a high threshold level mode wherein the threshold level is too high to respond to normal speech input, one of the amplification channel means also being responsive to low signal level of normal speech input for operation in a low signal level mode responsive to normal speech input, and means for gating the one amplification channel means to its low signal level mode and to its high threshold level mode in respective response to the absence and presence of response by any of the other amplification channel means to a high threshold level musical sound input.
The invention also relates to a gated multi-channel amplifier system which comprises a plurality of musical performance amplification channel means each responsive to high threshold level sound input for producing amplified sound output, one of the plurality of musical performance amplifier means being a vocal/announcer amplifier channel means responsive to announcer sound input of low signal level less than the high threshold level for producing an amplified announcer sound output, and means for gating the vocal/announcer amplification channel means to respond to announcer sound input only in the absence of amplified sound output produced by the other musical performance amplification channel means.
More specifically, the invention is directed to a multi-channel amplifier system comprising the combination of a first amplification channel having a sound input, a control input responsive to a control signal of one kind to produce an amplified sound output and to a control signal of another kind to gate out an amplified sound output, further amplification channels each having a sound input, a control input responsive to a control signal of one kind to produce an amplified sound output and to a control signal of another kind to gate out an amplified sound output, each of the amplification channels also having adjustable threshold level setting means for setting a high threshold level and threshold detector means connected to the sound input of the relevant amplifier channel for producing the control signal of one kind at the control input of the relevant amplifier channel when the sound input exceeds the high threshold level is detected and a control signal of the another kind when no detection takes place, and means for producing the control signal of the one kind at the control input of the first amplification channel in the presence of all control signals of the another kind produced by the further threshold detector means.
The above and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds.